, 1887-05-31
pArsoNYmics OF MANY KINDS
Some Queer English and German Names
and Their Supposed Origin.

the reporter who overheard the remark.
"How did that happen?"
ooh. you misunderstood! / said he has
got Stock-not stuck. He has been after
linn for some time"
You mean that Mr.. Stock is dead?''
asked tho reporter. r.
The German was SO amused that he
was unable to reply for q minute or two,
being nearly choked with laughter. II
mean that my neighbor, Teufel, the
butcher, has been trying for some time to
hire a man named Stock, with whom 1
am acquainted, and has at last succeeded
In engaging him. Now, do you catch
on?"
"TVell, Of all queer names, Teufel is
tho queercst, " said the reporter.
1T is o respectable German surname,
and no stranger than many other family
names woull appear if converted into
English" said the grocer. "For instance,
] know a man named Zehfuss-toe nail.
Then wo have Dreifuss, which means
three feet; Langbein, long legs; Ochsen-
hirt, OK herd; K~leinhans, Little jack;
Wolfschlager, wolf killer; uundsblut,
dogs blood; Pfankuch, pancake; Gunel-
finger, crooked finger; Schwarzkopf,
black head; GTosskopf, big head; Knlbs-
1eisch. veal; Knobeloch. garlic; Kraut,
cabbage, and scores of others that 1 could
name,
''For long names takes these: Riemen-
schneider, Dlankenbuhler, Schluessel-
Drummer, Schneiderlochner, Songenecker
and Guckenheimer. Some of the Penn
sylvania Dutch names which have been
partly transformed irto English are the
worst. Up in Armstrong county there
oro several families by tho name Of
Schreckengeist, which signifies in Ger
man q ghost or specter Of terrible appear
ance. One would think the name could
be made no worse, but some of the people
have succeeded in transforming it into
Shriekingghost. Milliron, Morningstar,
Ecdheffer and Barndollar are other Ger
man narnc which have been partly
Transmitted"
II don't know the origin of sur
Names" said q literary friend, in CONVEX
sation with the reporter. sit is certainly
very ancient, and q mark distinguishing
civilized people from wage The
ripple names, us, for example, Caius
Julius Cpser, Tarquinius Superbus and
Quintus Fabius Maximus. Frequently
ul llDIlOI III lld1lG WIS duueu W COUl-
memorate some warlike achievement;
Fabius was called Cunctntor and Scipio
Africanus.
anglo Saxons appear to have first
given s, .rnames indicating some moral or
mental attributes, as, for instance, Wise,
Good, Swift, Jolly, Merry, Meek, Gay,
Goodman, Makepeace, etc. Then we
have names indicating real or fancied re-
semblance to some animal, such as Bear,
Lion, Wolf, Hogg, Hart and Hare.
From physical characteristics or peculi-
arities must ave originated such names
as Long, Short, Black, Brown, White,
Whitehead, Crookshank, Strong, Arm
strong, Longfellow and Greathead. A
nickname kept in q family for a genera
ton or two becomes a patronymic.
Hence such names as Hopper, Jumper,
Springer, Daddysman, Poor and Rich.
1.-The Mo and o of the Irish and the
Mac Of the Scotch indicate descent.
There is another way in which the same
thing is shown: Adams son becomes
Adamson. David's son Davidson, Thomp-
SOD, Wilson, Williamson, Donaldson,
Anderson and many other names are
similarly derived. Localities OF places OF
residence originally gave rise to such
names MS Hill, Dale, Wood, Green,
Greenwood, Heath, Rivers, Waters and
Parks. Such names as Welsh, French,
Irish, Ireland, English and Scott may
perhaps be traced back to the nationality
of some remote ancestor.
Tho names which were derived from
occupations are probably more numerous
han any other class. We ali know~ffow
widespread the Smith family is. In the
same category belong the Clarks CLERKS
originality Cooks, Coopers, Bakers,
BARRIERS, Taylors. Shoemakers, Tanners,
Farmers and others. The months or days
IN which people were born originated such
names as May, June, january, March,
Friday and Monday.
THE inns Of old England are probably
responsible for many names. For in
stance, John Of tho Rose became John
Rose; Thomas of the Bell. became Tom
Bell; Richard of the Hawk, Richard
Hawk; Henry of the 'greathouse' became
Henry Grcathouse, and SO on, until there
Is scarcely a bird, animal or other device
that ever figured on q signboard that is
not perpetuated as q family name.
There are, perhaps, as many queer
names among the English as among any
people on Garth. Dickens stories abound
In them, but very few of his names were
manufactured. Such names as Slaughter,
startup, Gotobed, Dealman, Churchyard,
Dogberry and Fudge are found in English
directories"
Sometimes the very queerest of names
get coupled together as the title of a
firm. Here are a few specimens: Hook
q Ketch, Cobb C Hay, Peacock & Spar
row, Fox & Crane, Singer & Hooter,
Drake G Camden, Fisher & Fowler, Cos
lin G Pond, Wild & Free.
The poverty Of invention of the pioneer
community in America in the matter of
names for towns results in bcstowing
some absurd a%ppellations on backwoods'
lamlets. Who can name q county, either
east or west. which has not some stray
Cling village styled Paris, Oxford, Jeru-
salem, London, Berlin, or something else
equally absufd.-Pittsburg Dispatch.
The brakeman Forgot.